Alphabet
by Lolsome-o-sis girl
Summary: A Tom and Lexi alphabet challenge. Tom/Lexi MULTI-CHAPTER. Also includes Benny/Quinn in some chapters.
1. A is for Acrylics

**Alphabet**

_Fandom: Wizards Vs Aliens_

_Rating: K+/T  
><em>

_Genre: Romance, Family_

_Pairing: Tom/Lexi; sometimes Benny/Quinn_

_Summary: A Tom and Lexi alphabet challenge. Tom/Lexi MULTI-CHAPTER. Also includes Benny/Quinn in some chapters._

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><p><strong>AN: I wanted to write a multi-chapter fic for Wizards Vs Aliens, and then I stumbled across the Alphabet <strong>**challenge****, so I ran with it. Most of these are only a couple of hundred words long, but, eh. I will try to update every day, but, of course, school work has to be prioritised! (...Not that I have history homework I should be doing right now. Nope.)**

**DISCLAIMER, I OWN NOTHING.**

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><p><strong>A<strong> is for...

**A****c****r****yli****cs**

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><p>Lexi shifts in her seat, curling a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear, glancing up from her book. "Tom, what are you doing?"<p>

"Painting." Tom holds the paintbrush aloft, gesturing to the paint palette of acrylic paint sitting on the grass beside his shoe.

"Painting what?" Lexi snaps _The Mayor Of Casterbridge _shut, marking her place with one of the many leaves falling from the large oak tree she's leaning against, looking interested.

"Just...stuff." Tom shuffles, looking slightly embarrassed, the tips of his ears tinged pink.

"What sort of "stuff"?"

"Just stuff. Like, still life, y'know?"

She nods (even though she has no idea what _still life_ means). "Can I see?"

"No, no!" He looks alarmed. "It's, er...it's not finished."

"I'm sure it's brilliant - no, wait...I'm sure it's spectacular." She nods, beaming at him with the use of his usual catchphrase.

"It's really not that great -" Tom starts to say, but Lexi has already leapt off the ground and collapsed down beside him to catch a glance of the drawing, too quickly for Tom to react in time and try to hide the canvas. For a few minutes, she doesn't say anything. Then:

"Tom..."

A tall girl is resting against a tree, surrounded by burnt orange leaves, an open novel resting on her lap, her short blonde fringe framing her face, one strand falling in front of her bright blue eyes, invested in the pages of her book.

Tom has turned the colour of a tomato, eyes trained on the floor. "As I said, it's not finished, and it's really not that great -"

"I love it." Lexi silences him with a soft peck on the cheek. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"Yeah, well..." He glances at her sideways, smiling in that way that always makes her blush. "...So are you."

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><p><em>Word Count: <em>_306_

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><p><strong>It's not very long, but it's not my worst :)<strong>


	2. B is for Baking

**Yay! Here we are, chapter two!**

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><p><strong>B<strong> is for...

**Baking**

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><p>"<em>Shoot!<em>" Lexi yells loudly, fighting to get to the oven through the clouds of black smoke emitting from the corner of the kitchen, wrestling the door open to rescue the baking tray she'd laid inside twenty minutes ago. Maybe she shouldn't have put all that baking powder in...Four tablespoons did seem like a lot, thinking back on it.

Pushing aside the bowl, still half full of cake mix, she dumps the burning tray onto the counter, wafting her hand around to clear the air, frowning down at the crusted batter clinging to the edge of the tray. The picture in the cookery book she'd found, hidden in the back of the crockery cupboard, looks nothing like the black rocks that are placed before her. Where were the perfectly light, icing-topped cupcakes she had been expecting?

A shrill, piercing wail drones out from somewhere on the landing, grating on her hearing, making her clutch at her ears. In her imminent rush to get the food out of the oven, she's completely overlooked the fact that black smoke is still hovering over everything - and that includes the smoke alarm.

Lexi curses in Nekross, fumbling for a tea towel as she sprints up the stairs to block out the abominably loud noise.

"What the - What's going on!?" The door nearest to her flies open, and Tom stumbles out, still in his pyjamas, still half asleep.

"I burnt some cupcakes."

"Cup -? Why are you baking cupcakes at -" He glances briefly at the clock on the wall above her head. " - three in the morning?"

"I had difficulty sleeping," she admits, trying to beat the smoke away from the alarm before her ear drums burst from the noise. "I looked for a book downstairs, but I could not find one that I hadn't already finished reading, but then I found this cookery book hidden in the back of the cupboard -" She sighs as the noise finally stops; there's still a faint ringing in her ears, and she screws her eyes shut, as if she could rid herself of it in this way. " - I thought I would try and make you some cupcakes. As a affectionate gesture on my part. But, my creations do not look anything like the images in the book. I put in _far_ too much baking powder, and mine did not even have any icing on them when I took them out of the oven -"

"The cakes don't come with icing on them, love." Tom cuts her off with a chuckle, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "You have to ice them yourself."

"Ice them -? The book failed to mention that detail!" Lexi looks personally hard-done-by at this news. "No wonder my version looks so unappetising!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're beautiful anyway," Tom says kindly, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Yes..." Lexi replies slowly. "...I am sure they are. Beautiful...and _burnt_."

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><p><em>Word count: 493<em>

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><p><strong>I wanted to write a story where Lexi tried to cook, and then I wanted to write one where she tried to surprise Tom with said cooking, and it all blurred together to make this. Next up...the letter C!<strong>


	3. C is for Carnival

**C** is for...

**Carnival**

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><p>"Remind me, Tom...why exactly are we here?"<p>

Lexi tugs her coat tighter around her coat, glancing distastefully at the pulsing neon lights that faced them, as they trudge their way through the crowds of families that swarm the usually desolate field.

"Because it's fun!" Tom insists, his voice muffled by a large mouthful of the candy floss he had bought a few minutes earlier. Lexi 'hmm'ed, unconvinced, as she dodges warily out of the way of a sticky five year old barrelling her way through the crowd, ketchup smeared around her mouth, shrieking at the top of her voice about something to do with ducks and hooks. Lexi wrinkles up her nose at the sight.

"_This_ is what you half - _humans_ call fun?" She says in disbelief, as Tom steers them in the direction of the nearest empty patch of grass, weaving in and out of the the line for the carousel.

"C'mon, it's not that bad. It's classic family entertainment."

"How...simple-minded of you all."

He sends her a sideways glance as they seat themselves on the ground. "You too, you know. You're as human as the rest of us now." He offers her some of the candy floss; she picks a tiny piece off and nibbles on it as they continue to watch the passerbys stagger off the many rides, only to empty the contents of their stomach close to the exit of whatever attraction they recently left. Lexi flicks the piece of candy floss onto the ground, unable to eat whilst watching the spectacle; Tom, on the other hand, must be used to it, she thinks, as he carries on eating, unfazed. She frowns suddenly.

"What on earth is that?"

Tom follows her gaze, eyes falling on the long queue stretching out around the field. "It's a roller coaster."

Lexi blinks. "A what? A..._roll-i-coster_? What be a roll-i-coster?"

"Roller coaster. And it's one of the best things about a carnival. Trust me, I've been on loads of them since I was a kid."

"But, how do they work?"

"Well, pretty simply, really. You sit in a little cart, the carnival worker presses a green button, and...whoosh." He makes a gesture with his free hand. "Off you go."

"Oh." Lexi traces the "roll-i-coster" track with her eyes. "Well. That doesn't sound too awful, I suppose. I would be willing to try it."

"Really? Aw, cool!" He leaps up off the ground like an excited child, and grabs her hand. "Let's go!"

"Um, right at this very moment?" Lexi looks wary. "You just ate nearly an entire bag of candy floss; people are already...upchucking their insides all over the grass. Do you really want to add more fuel to that fire?"

"Relax. I'm an experienced roller coaster rider. I know how to handle this sort of thing." Tom is rolling his eyes as they join the end of the queue, pulling off another piece of candy floss; Lexi stuffs her hands into her pockets to keep them warm during the wait.

"Is this it?" She asks, once they've been seated into one of the many carts on the roller coaster track, and strapped in so tightly that she can't breathe properly. _Is that how the workers get other humans to go on these things over and over again? Is it all down to oxygen deprivation?_

"It hasn't even started yet, love."

Lexi jolts as the car starts to roll forwards, beginning the climb up the steep hill; she glances down at the ground which is steadily getting further and further away. It really hadn't seemed so high up before...

"Tom..." She clutches at the safety bar. "You know I love - _Y__eeeeeeooooowwwwww_!" She lets out a shriek, as the cart suddenly plummets towards the ground and the wind whistles past her ears, as her stomach is left at the top of the slope; Tom cheers and whoops, one hand up in the air, one hand holding hers, which are both gripped onto the safety bar so hard that her knuckles have turned white. (Not that she would ever admit this afterwards.) The cart loops upside down, and the blood streams to her head, and she clamps her lips together, forcing herself not to scream. Or upchuck the contents of her stomach onto the members of the public below.

She staggers from the ride after the cart has eventually slowed down to a stop, tripping over her own feet as she reaches the exit.

"Whoa, whoa!" Tom catches her before she sprawls onto the ground. "You alright?"

"Fine," she lies weakly. He doesn't look convinced, and so half-carries her over to an empty patch of grass, gently lowering her down.

"Do you want anything? Water?"

"No, no, thank you. Only..."

"What?"

She looks up at him from under her fringe. "Can we ride the roll-i-coster again?"

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><p><em>Word Count: 808<em>

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><p><strong>Whoo! I'm back home to my beloved WiFi! Lexi loves roller coasters (or rather, roll-i-costers)! And everything is grand!<strong>


	4. D is for Dancing

**D** is for...

**Dancing**

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><p>"What is the point of all this modern dance?" Lexi holds up the <em>Just Dance<em> case resting on top of the games console in Quinn's garage, a perplexed look written across her face.

"There isn't really a point to it," Tom replies from his seat on the floor. "It just sort of came about. Trends come and go. S'just the way it works."

Lexi quickly glances to make sure no one is coming before she voices her question. Currently, after days of Quinn trying to persuade Tom to bring his girlfriend to meet him (he had been smug with satisfaction when he saw - and remembered - who it was, and claimed that he "knew from the moment you two clapped eyes on each other in the park that this was going to happen"), the owner of aforementioned garage is no where to be seen, having raced off after Benny ten minutes ago after the course of their _Just Dance_ battle.

"Jeez, Benny, you've got the grace of a walrus," Quinn had grumbled. Benny simply grinned.

"You just can't handle my moves, Quinnster."

"Pfft, I could take you on any day."

"Oh yeah?" Benny tossed the second controller at him, nearly clipping him in the head. "Bring it on, _boyfriend_."

Tom smirked at Quinn from the corner. "You're about to get your butt kicked, mate."

"Oh, you're going _down_, Sherwood," Quinn replied, ignoring Tom and smirking at Benny.

To be fair, Tom has to give Quinn credit for sticking at it so long, when it became clear after the first thirty seconds that he had ultimately lost, despite all of his talk beforehand. Benny is the _Just Dance_ champion amongst them, after all.

"What happened to the waltz and the dances I learnt about during human research?" Lexi asks now, looking at the neon _Just Dance_ case in distaste.

Tom snorts. "No one does those anymore. I don't even know how to do any of them. Not sure anyone of this generation does."

"My mother encouraged Father to teach me to dance when I was merely a hatchling."

"Your father...taught you how to dance?" He asks, disbelieving, unable to tie his concept of _dancing_ to his concept of _the Nekross King_.

"Yes. It was a long time ago, before he got to be quite so..." She struggles to think of the right word. "...Well, to be quite so..."

"Fat?" Tom suggests.

"_Immobile_," Lexi corrects. "I cannot remember it very well, but, according to Varg, I would stand on my father's feet and he would try and dance with me around the courtyard. He wasn't very good at it, I will admit, but I picked up the basics." She pauses for a second, before grabbing his hand and pulling him up from the floor before he can argue. "Come on. I'll show you." They stand - Tom looking slightly mortified that his lack of dancing skills is about to be exposed for all to see - in the middle of the room as she directs him. "Here." She takes the hand that isn't already holding hers, and places it on her shoulder blade. "And, then, whatever music you're listening to, you dance accordingly. We had many different composers play for us when we held important gatherings, so it was seen as important to have a dance that could be adjusted to any piece of music."

"Any piece?"

"That's right."

"Hang on a second, then." Tom drops his hand and crosses the room, pulling some device out of his pocket and hooking it up to a speaker.

"What are you doing?" She asks, looking bemused.

"You wanted music, didn't you? It's The Moody Blues - a classic."

"What a peculiar name for a band," Lexi muses, as Tom puts his hand back on her shoulder blade and intertwines their fingers together. They lapse into silence after a while, shuffling in time to the music, too busy gazing at each other to concentrate on much else.

"You think we should disturb them?" Benny asks in a hushed whisper, nudging Quinn as they watch the other couple from the doorway.

"Nah." Quinn puts an arm around Benny's shoulders and grins. "Let's wait a while and see if they do anything that can be used as blackmail in the future."

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><p><em>Word Count: 7<em>_21_

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><p><strong>I started off wanting to do a Just Dance battle between all of them, but then this happened, and I don't know what this is (except the letter D in the challenge, of course.)<strong>

**If anyone's interested, the song that Tom and Lexi dance to is called **_**"Nights in White Satin"**_**. I recommend you guys go and listen to it, like I am right now. (It was on the Tim Burton film **_**Dark Shadows**_** soundtrack).**


	5. E is for Engagement

**My God, this got cheesy. I did not plan for this, but it had to happen. I'm sorry.**

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><p><strong>E<strong> is for...

**Engagement**

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><p>"You're awfully quiet."<p>

"Hm?" Tom looks up from the kitchen tile he has been staring at for quite some time now. "Sorry, love, what did you say?"

"I said," Lexi rolls her eyes, "that you're awfully quiet today. Is something wrong?"

"No, no...Just thinking." His gaze returns back to the same kitchen tile, a small frown knitted upon his face. His deep-in-thought expression, Lexi has come to know it as. Pointless trying to rouse him out of these thoughts. She lets out a small sigh, squeezes his shoulder, and then backs out of the room, off to bury her head in her hundredth book for that week. Only when she's left the room does Tom glance up from that same kitchen tile and check that she's out of hearing range before reaching for his phone and opening up Skype, hoping to get some advice on the dilemma he's wrestling with.

"Hullo, Tom!" Benny greets as soon as he answers.

"Hey, Benny. How are things over there?"

"Brilliant!" Benny looks like he's about to say more, but then he takes in Tom's expression and nods. "But, I'm guessing you didn't call to hear about the new software programmes I've been designing. What's the problem?"

"I need some advice."

"On what?" Benny looks confused. "This isn't another "the cooker's broken; how do I fix it before Lexi finds out?" episode, is it?"

"No, no, nothing like that. But, well, it's about Lexi. And me. Us." Benny looks even less understanding than he did a moment ago. "Okay, I'm voicing this badly. I've been thinking about this for a while, but I wasn't entirely sure -"

"You want to know how to propose, don't you?"

"Wha -? How did you even know -?"

"You don't need to be a genius, or have a degree in Psychology - both of which apply to me - to know that this was going to happen sooner or later. Looks like the day has finally arrived. To be honest, I'm a little surprised it didn't happen earlier. You two have pretty much been married anyway for the past year and a half."

"Yeah, but...that's not the same as actually being married, is it?"

"True, true." Benny's face beams back at him. "So, Lexi is about to become Mrs Tom Clarke, is she?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself yet, Benny. I haven't even asked yet. She may not even say yes." The last sentence is mumbled.

"Come _on_. Really? It's obvious that she's going to say yes. You guys have been smitten with each other since the day you met." Benny nods firmly, as if his word is gospel truth (which, Tom has to admit, in this case it is). "Wait...have you told your Dad yet? Gran?"

"Not...exactly?"

"So, no, then."

"I was kind of planning to actually ask Lexi first, and then drop by Dad's to tell him." Tom shrugs. "But, getting back on topic, I need some advice. How exactly do I go about...doing this?"

"Hm. You're lucky in the sense that Lexi probably hasn't been planning this day since she was five years old, which would mean that if you get it wrong, it'll destroy a piece of her childhood -"

"What!?" Tom has visibly paled. "I don't want to destroy a piece of her childhood!"

"Relax, Tom, I'm joking!"

Tom makes a huffing sound. "That wasn't funny. I was seriously worried there. I don't want to screw this up."

"You won't. Everyone you talk to will just tell you to be yourself."

"Yeah, that's all well and good, Benny. But I don't want to be tacky."

"Let me try Google." There's the sound of Benny tapping on a keyboard in the background. "Ah. Here we go. _Ten most romantic ways to propose to someone._ What about a candle lit dinner?"

"Seems a bit stereotypical, doesn't it?"

"You wanted my help. Don't start getting picky." Benny scrolls down the page. "Ah. The place you first met?"

"That would mean breaking into King's Park, Benny. I can't exactly do that. I did run out of there screaming that I was never going to go back to that...place." A censored version of what he said, of course. Benny rolls his eyes at the memory.

"Fisher was about to try and make you come back for detention. And, well, you didn't really meet Lexi in the school, did you?"

Tom thinks back. "You mean the park?"

"Yep." Benny nods, before pausing. "Wait, wait...you did buy her a ring, yes? Because if you don't want to be tacky, I suggest you get one, pronto. A cheap one is better than nothing, if it comes down to it."

"Don't worry about that. I bought one a few weeks ago, once I found out where the jewellers is -"

"A few weeks -!? Tom, for Christ sake, what are you _doing_!? Get out there and propose to her!"

A pause. "You really think she'll say yes? Like, you honestly think that she'll say yes?"

"Of course! Now, for God's sake, don't waste anymore time than you already have, and _get on with it_!" Benny hangs up before Tom can say another word.

After a few more moments of deliberation, he rises from his seat, and wanders into the living room to see Lexi, curled up in her favourite armchair, immersed in her book.

"Hey."

She looks up immediately. "Hello. Did you finish thinking about whatever it was you were thinking of?"

"Yeah. I did, actually. Uh, I was thinking..."

She looks curious. "Yes?"

"Maybe we could...go for a walk?" Oh, God. He cringes at himself. What's happened to the romantic speech he'd written about her and him and everything that's happened to them, and, yes, he's done things he regrets, like leaving her on her own, but, at the end of the day, it's her he wants to spend the rest of his life with? What's happened to that?

Lexi doesn't seem to notice his inner conflict, and smiles brightly at him. "That would be nice. Do you have anywhere in mind?"

"The park?"

"The park where we first met properly?"

"That's the one."

"Alright. I don't see why not." She lays her book on the coffee table beside her chair, and links an arm through his, jabbing him playfully in the rubs as she does so. "What's brought all this on, then?"

"Just...fun," he replies vaguely, letting the front door swing shut behind them. "Do I need another reason to spend time with my favourite person in all this world?"

"You have been staring at a kitchen tile for the majority of this morning." Lexi locks their fingers together, as they walk the short distance to the park.

"I was thinking!" Tom protests, coming to a stop by a nearby bench.

"About what?" Lexi squashes next to him, resting their clasped hands on the seat beside them. "Is it anything I can help you with?"

"You."

She raises an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Well, not just you. I was thinking about both of us."

"Alright. What about both of us?"

"It's just..." Now would be a good time for that speech he's been thinking about all morning.

"What is it?" She looks worried. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no!" He exhales heavily. "I love you, you know that, right?"

"Well, yes. As I love you."

"I loved you from the moment I saw you. I loved you from the moment you ate that entire chocolate bar. I loved you every moment of every day. I'll love you for the rest of my life, and even beyond that. I'll never feel for anyone else what I feel for you." He squeezes her hand. "I know I've been a douche in the past, but I want to spend the rest of my days with you. Which is why..." He fumbles in his pocket for the box, which he places in her palm.

"Is this...?" She tails off as she lifts the lid and stares at the contents, eyes widening.

"Will you marry me?"

Lexi remains silent for a few moments, processing the question, and what it means - what it means for the both of them, before her big blue eyes well up with tears, and a startled chuckle escapes her, followed by louder, happier ones as she throws her arms around him in a choking hug.

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

"Really?" He can feel his own grin stretching across his face.

"Yes, of course, you idiot!" She leans back to kiss him softly on the lips. "Love you."

"I love you too..." His grins grows wider. "...Mrs Clarke."

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><p><em>Word Count: 1434<em>

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><p><strong>So, yes, that happened...I just ran with it in the end, because I couldn't make it any less cheesier. The next one will be less cheesy. Cute, yes, but not cheesy.<strong>


	6. F is for Flowers

**F **is for...

**Flowers**

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><p>"You know." Tom breaks the companionable silence between them suddenly. "It's been four years today."<p>

"Four years? Since what?" Lexi frowns.

"Since that day. Since I made you human." He grins. "It's your human birthday."

She pokes him in the ribs playfully. "I hope you're not planning some kind of scheme because of it."

"Well, since you haven't told me when your real birthday is, when else am I supposed to plan my schemes?" There's a pause. "When is your real birthday, by the way? I don't think I've ever asked you before."

Lexi pauses for a moment. "I don't really know. They do not mark time as rigorously on Nekron as humans do here on Earth. We have an entirely different system to you. But, what does it matter? I do not wish to celebrate ageing a little more than I do every other second of every day."

"It's _supposed_ to be something to celebrate. Aren't you about twenty one now in Nekross years or something? That's one of the special ones."

"I think so." She does a quick calculation. "I must be. Why is twenty one so special?"

"It's the start of adulthood." Tom rolls his eyes. "Or, the beginning of the end."

"Or the end of the beginning," Lexi suggests. "The end of being a child and the start of the rest of your life. That's the way Nekross see it. The start of adulthood means that we are no longer dependant on our parents; we are fully fledged adults."

"Still, we can't just let it go by without meaning something...Aha! Wait there a second!" He disappears through the back door and into the garden, returning a few moments later with a small object in his palm. It's a daisy, Lexi realises. The first Earth flower she ever held.

"I thought this would be pretty meaningful."

"So pointlessly pretty," Lexi says, a small smile forming on her face at the familiar words. "And, yet, so perfect..."

"Kind of like someone else I know." He presses a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth. "Happy human birthday, love."

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><p><em>Word count: 353<em>

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><p><strong>Yeah, it's really short. Short but sweet, I like to think.<strong>


	7. G is for Girlfriend

**G** is for...

**Girlfriend**

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><p>The first time Tom calls Lexi his girlfriend, it doesn't sound like much of a big deal, casually dropped into the conversation.<p>

"This is Lexi," he says, after he's introduced himself to whatever goblin or ghoul or Neverside creature has kidnapped them this time. "My girlfriend."

The words are simple enough, and, of course, there are more pressing matters to attend to for the time being, but the words circulate around Lexi's head for the rest of the day, leaving her silent and lost in thought during the drive home.

"Something on your mind?" Tom asks, as she pours the strainer of spaghetti over the sink, the clouds of steam rising up around her, a distant look in her eyes.

"Yes. But, it's nothing."

"Can't be nothing, Lexi. It's _you_." She doesn't smile at his weak attempt at a joke. "What is it?"

"Just, today." She turns to face him. "When we were in the caves. You called me your girlfriend."

He blinks. "Yeah. Of course I did." He frowns suddenly. "You...you are my girlfriend, aren't you?"

"Do you want me to be?"

"Why on earth wouldn't I want you to be?"

"It's not as if we can erase what's happened before. It affected all of us. And you never asked me to be, so I just assumed you were happier just, you know, being friends..." She tails away.

He hasn't asked before now? Why the hell hasn't he asked before now!? If he wasn't holding a tub of garlic butter and a knife ladled with the stuff, he would slap himself in the face. Or kiss Lexi for being too beautiful for her own good. Or both (although, not at the same time, of course.)

"Then, I think it's time I asked, don't you? Lexi, bringer of all the sunshine to my life, the receiver of my affection, the centre of everything in my world, will you let me have the privilege of calling you my girlfriend?"

"Hm..." She tilts her head to the side, as if in deep thought. "No." There's a pause, before she breaks out into peals of laughter, unable to keep a straight face at his confused expression. "Joking, joking, I'm joking!"

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><p><em>Word count: 367<em>

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><p><strong>As if Lexi would turn down her beloved Tom Clarke! (As if anyone would turn down Tom Clarke, let's be real here).<strong>


	8. H is for Hugs

**Sorry about the lack of update yesterday. I caught a nasty sick bug and was bed-ridden all day :( Luckily, it was just a one-day thing, and I'm almost back on top form today! :)**

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><p><strong>H<strong> is for...

**Hugs**

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><p>There are many different types of hugs in the world, Lexi has come to realise, all meaning different things. She'd never been one for hugging in the past; with Varg as a brother, who would be? When they were younger, they would clap each other on the back as a form of greeting. As they got older, it turned into sarcastic remarks and insults. Because Nekross don't really believe in hugs. Or affection. Or anything of the sort.<p>

They're nice things, hugs, Lexi has decided. There are the sleepy goodnight hugs she gives her son before she tucks him into bed. There are the engulfing bear hugs she gets from Benny and Quinn when they drift through the open back door to "catch up" (read: be nosy). There are the brief, awkward hugs she gets from Michael when Tom brings her along on one of his many family visits, the hugs that are at arm's length, a safe distance away from each other, accompanied with an wary smile on both their parts.

There are the desperate, swift hugs that her and Tom give each other before they step into the lair of whatever creature they are going to face, eyes full of worry at the thought of the other being in danger. There are the grateful hugs they have when they both return safe and alive, crawling out of buildings, through windows and trap doors, mere moments before it explodes, before whatever creature that may be chasing them can catch them. Hugs that last for minutes on end and then lead to..._more_ than hugs, when they've got home and no one else is around.

There are the lazy, every day hugs, when they're lying on the sofa, falling asleep in front of a cheesy film, Tom's arm wrapped tightly around her waist, pressing soft kisses on each other's forehead, all the time in the world.

There'll always be another magical creature, another one of Varg's strops (ever since the breakdown of his marriage, there certainly hasn't been any improvement in his tolerance), even another alien species wanting to destroy the planet.

But, in those precious seconds together that both of them treasure, they really couldn't care less.

* * *

><p><em>Word count: 369<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Teeheeheeheehee, "more than hugs" - and now that I've impressed you all with my "maturity", I bid you good day.<strong>


	9. I is for Ice Cream

**I** is for...

**Ice Cream**

* * *

><p>"Cream ice, you say?"<p>

"Ice cream," Tom corrects, holding the door to the ice cream parlour open for her. "Frozen milk and cream with sugar in. I personally like mine with biscuits crumbled in it."

Lexi slides into a booth by the window, glancing at the menu placed on the table. "There's so many. How does one choose?"

"Ah, that's what they do. Make so many different flavours so you have to keep coming back to try them all."

"But, is that not the whole point of consumerism as a whole?" She raises an eyebrow as she scans the list of flavours on offer, stopping on one option halfway down the page. "Bacon flavoured ice cream?"

"Oh, yeah. I, er, wouldn't advise on that one. Or the garlic flavour either."

"Hm. Is there one that does not sound vaguely poisonous or contain a lethal amount of sugar?"

"But, the sugary ones are the tasty ones! The best ones!"

"I'm sure you think so." Her eyes stray back to the menu to look for something that fits her criteria, before she nods. "Green Tea sounds nice."

"Green tea, it is, then, love." Tom rises from his seat to order - Green Tea for Lexi, and Rocky Road for himself - before returning with the two sundaes in towering glasses. "Eat up."

Lexi scoops up a spoonful and nibbles at it, her face breaking out into a smile a few seconds later.

"Why, this is delicious!"

"I'm glad you think so."

She takes a larger mouthful, nodding eagerly. "I think this may be even nicer than the choc-o-late!" They chuckle at the memory that the words bring. "Why are all these nice foods not an essential part of human diet?"

"Wait, wait...you've got a little something..." Tom leans forward slightly.

"Oh." She sticks the spoon into the ice cream and scrubs at the corner of her mouth. "Is it...Is it gone?"

He leans further across the table, as if to get a closer look, stopping millimetres away from her face. "Should I get that for you?"

"If you would be so kind."

He smiles and closes the gap between them.

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 358<em>

* * *

><p><strong>I didn't think I'd post two chapters in one day, but here we are :)<strong>


	10. J is for Jumpers

**J** is for...

**Jumpers**

* * *

><p>"Well, I think it looks great."<p>

"Tom, am I really expected to wear this..._thing_ all day?" Lexi plucks at the soft material in disdain. Tom rolls his eyes, moving to stand beside her as she peers into the mirror at the fluffy white jumper with a penguin motif on it.

"Aw, c'mon, what's wrong with it? I think you look cute in it."

"It lights up. And _sings_." Lexi fixes him with a serious stare. "Inanimate pieces of clothing wear should not light up and sing."

"I think it's quite cute, actually. Benny and Quinn did a good job with gifts this year."

"But, it sings."

"Yeah. But, it's cute!"

"But, it _sings_!"

"It plays _Jingle Bells_! It's a classic Christmas tune!" Tom protests.

"Is that so?" Lexi raises an eyebrow as he nods. "So, why aren't you wearing yours, then?"

"Pfft, not cold enough." He avoids her gaze.

"Aha!" She suddenly grins triumphantly. "You're lying."

"Pfft, I am not!"

"Yes, you are; you're making that _pfft_ noise every time you speak. That's how I know you are lying. You make that noise every time you lie."

"Pfft, I do not!" A beat of silence. "Damn."

"So, Tom. Why are you not wearing your jumper, then? Are you not going to be gracious and wear it when our guests arrive?" She smirks at him.

"Fine." Tom leans across to the table and tugs his own jumper over his head. "Better?"

"I think it looks great, Tom. Elves are very becoming of you."

He folds his arms, face starting to resemble a ten year old who'd just been forced into a suit and tie. "Do you expect me to wear this all day?"

"What is wrong with it?" Her smirk widens. "I think you look cute in it."

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 303<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Googling "bad christmas jumpers" isn't something I thought I'd be doing today, but, hey, Quinn and Benny would probably do the same trying to find a jumper for Tom :)<strong>


	11. K is for Kisses

**K** is for...

**Kisses**

* * *

><p>Lexi clamps a hand over her mouth and nose, trying to block out the stench of rotten eggs as she runs up the steps towards the ground floor. There's only a limited amount of time before the gas tank explodes, taking the entire building - and her - up in flames with it. And, given that she's spent the last five minutes trying to navigate her way through the maze of corridors that make up the basement level, that hasn't left her much time to get out.<p>

She had to do it, though. She had to go back in. Destroy the evidence. The last thing they need is that kind of information in the wrong hands. Maybe locking Tom out of the building and sealing the doors so that he couldn't get in and she couldn't get out herself wasn't the smartest idea she's ever had, but it's his own fault. She wasn't going back in there alone, he said - if she was going to her probable death, he was coming too. So, what was she supposed to have done? Put him in danger and let him come anyway? No. That could not be allowed to happen. He's been put in danger by her far too many times.

The air around her is heavy, burning the inside of her nose when she can't help but inhale, making her gag and retch, choking on the very oxygen she breathes to survive as she wrenches the door open that leads to the ground floor, and makes a bee line for the nearest window. The catch on the window frame is old and rusted with age, but, eventually, it breaks away in her hand, and she pushes the window open with a loud creak, pulling herself up onto the window sill, and sliding out of the small gap, feet first. She lands roughly on the ground outside - _that's going to leave a nasty bruise,_ some rational part of her mind thinks, unburdened by the panic consuming the rest of her - gasping for clean air as she pulls herself up off the damp ground and limps as far away from the building as she can. An explosion sounds from somewhere behind her, the impact throwing her forwards, showers of glass raining down upon her like deadly raindrops; she raises her arms weakly to protect her face as she stumbles away.

"Lexi!" There's a shout from somewhere near her, followed by the sound of running footsteps; before her ankle gives away and she trips, sending the concrete ground hurtling towards her face, Tom catches her and gathers her up in his arms, face pressed into her hair.

"Hey," she says weakly.

"Don't _ever_ do that to me again," he mumbles, peppering kisses on the crown of her head.

"You should not have refused to stay behind," she jokes, nudging his shoulder with her nose.

"I thought you weren't going to get out in time. I thought I'd lose you."

"I had to do it, Tom. I had to destroy the files."

"I don't know what I would have done if..." He tails off, not even wanting to put the alternative outcome into words.

"I'm sorry." She pulls back slightly to look into his face. "I did not want you to worry. I do not ever want you to worry about me." She leans forward and presses a long, lingering kiss to his lips.

He gives a shaky half smile. "I always worry about you, love."

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 583<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, kisses :) They should have kissed in every episode. Every episode ever. Would have made everything a whole lot better (for me, anyway).<strong>


	12. L is for Lift

**L** is for...

**Lift**

* * *

><p>Lexi shifts her weight from one foot to the other, glad that her hands are preoccupied with shopping bags, preventing her from frantically wringing her hands together in a nervous panic.<p>

"Tom..."

"It's alright."

"You know how I feel about lifts."

"It was either this or get the escalator for twenty floor, and I wasn't really up for that. Didn't think you'd be either."

"I'm not." She looks down at her shoes - thick walking boots, still crusted with snow, even after walking around inside all afternoon. "But, ever since...well, you know, I have never been able to ride in a lift."

"I know. But, the Neverway's gone now." He tries to reassure her with a smile. "And there's no Neverway here." There's a gentle _ping_, and the lift doors slide open; Tom places a hand on Lexi's shoulder and guides her inside - they both know she wouldn't do it of her own accord.

"Ground floor?" She asks, trying to sound normal, but her voice wavers slightly, giving away her fear.

"Yeah." Tom hits the button, and the doors snap shut, making Lexi, who was already looking wary, jolt as if someone has shocked her with electric.

"Hey," Tom says suddenly, trying to take her mind off it. "What's black and white, black and white, black and white?"

"What?" She frowns, eyes momentarily straying from the lift doors.

"A panda rolling down a hill!" Silence. "It's...it's a joke, love."

"Pandas are an endangered species, Tom," she says seriously, preoccupied for the moment. "We shouldn't joke about such matters."

"You're right. You're so right." He nods to keep her distracted. "You're always right -" He is cut off by a metallic groaning sound, the neon lights of the Chappelfield Christmas shopping deal sign flickering. Lexi jumps, eyes filled with panic.

"What's going on!?"

"I don't know!" The lift gives another wheeze, before the little box shudders and the lights fizzle out and pop, leaving the room in darkness. Tom swears loudly, fumbling in his pocket for his phone, squinting at the sudden brightness from the screen.

"Are you alright, love?" He looks to his right for her; she's crouched slightly against the wall, gripping the railing, eyes darting wildly back and forth, as if the solution is about to fall out of no where. "Hey, hey, Lexi -"

"We're stuck!" She cries suddenly. "We cannot get out!" A pause. "We shall never get out! We shall starve to our deaths inside this metal box!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down. No one is starving to death."

"We'll never leave!"

"Lexi -"

"There's no food, no water, a limited amount of oxygen!"

"Lexi - !"

"No one can hear us!"

"Lexi!" He cuts off her agitated cries with a soft peck on the lips. "_Listen_ to me. No one is going to die, no one is getting stuck in here forever, and we have plenty of oxygen. We'll be _fine_."

"But..." She tails off, fear brimming in her eyes in the form of unshed tears.

"Do you trust me?" She nods immediately. "Then trust me when I say that we'll be fine, and that they'll get us out as soon as possible." He searches his brain for another topic of conversation. "Oh, hey, when is a door not a door?"

"When it becomes a Neverway?"

"No, no - _well_, yes, but, no."

"Then, I do not know what you mean."

"It's another joke, love. Anyway, when is a door not a door?...When it's ajar!" Lexi frowns, eyebrows knitting together. "You know what, never mind. Forget the jokes."

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 594<em>

* * *

><p><strong>This is has been a headcannon of mine for a while - that Lexi is now petrified of lifts because of what happened during The Thirteenth Floor. Tom's jokes really are awful as well :) <strong>


	13. M is for Mistletoe

**These are all turning into Christmas-themed things, it seems. I apologise.**

* * *

><p><strong>M<strong> is for...

**Mistletoe**

* * *

><p>"Isn't this fun?"<p>

"Hmm..." Lexi replies, swirling the water in her glass from her spot by the wall, close to the fridge to combat the heat emitting from inside the living room, trying to avoid making eye contact with the unknown couple making out in the corner opposite her. "That is one way to describe it."

"Aw, c'mon." Quinn nudges her in the arm. "Aren't you enjoying yourself?"

"No, it's not that," Lexi jumps in quickly. "You throw very..._elaborate_ parties, Mr Christopher -"

He snorts. "It's just Quinn. Not Mr Christopher. And, yeah, I suppose they're pretty elaborate, as you say. Benny's way better at the actual organising part though. I'm more about the _fun_ part." He winks at her; the only response he gets is Lexi's unamused frown.

"Right." She drains the rest of her water in one go, pressing it to her forehead to cool her down before placing the empty cup on the sideboard. "Where's Tom?"

"Where d'you think?" Quinn rolls his eyes. "He set up a camp by the food table and hasn't moved since then."

"If he looks for me, would you tell him I'm outside?"

"If he leaves the damn food table, yeah," Quinn calls after her, as she threads her way through the tiny living room, filled with people, and manages to make it into the hallway and out of the front door, dodging various intimate pairs sitting - and not sitting - in her way. Lexi has decided to blame Quinn; for the past half an hour, he has been taping little sprigs of some unidentifiable plant above people's heads when he thinks they aren't looking. _Maybe this plant __contains__ some kind of drug_, Lexi muses, as she sits on the steps leading to the front porch. _Maybe that's why everyone standing under it begins to show an abnormal amount of affection towards their significant other?_

There's the sound of the door opening behind her. "What you doin' out here?"

"Contemplating the effect of meaningless sprigs of plant on you humans," she smirks, glancing over her shoulder at Tom, who sits down beside her, a paper plate in one hand.

"Sausage roll?"

She shakes her head. "Digesting food may hinder my concentration."

"Ah. The mistletoe." Tom nods, taking a bite of hot dog. "S'Christmas tradition. Couples kiss under the mistletoe. That's about all there is to it."

"People are not just kissing in there." She nods behind them to the open door, the sounds of music and laughter pouring out onto the street.

"They can't exactly do anything just yet," Tom grins. "Not everyone's drunk to the point where they don't care what goes on."

She raises an eyebrow. "Is this a regular event at these social gatherings?"

"Mostly, yeah. Well, at Quinn's, anyway."

"You humans have strange forms of entertainment," Lexi declares. "Tele-vision, cookery, drinking alcohol, mindless acts of vandalism...the list goes on."

Tom looks like he's about to say more - possibly to comment on the fact that she left out a description of the acts currently happening on the stairs that would have been unspeakable in public back on her home planet - when his eyes drift up to the porch frame above their heads and a loud gust of air falls from his lungs.

"What?" She turns her head to follow his gaze, eyes falling to rest on the little green plant sellotaped strategically above their heads. It certainly hadn't been there when she'd first come outside. Quinn must have sneaked behind them at some point, able to slip in and out of the commotion undetected. "Oh." She turns back to look at him. "So, we, um, have to...?"

"I promise they'll be no acts like there are in there." Rolling his eyes up to the heavens, Tom leans towards her, pausing a few millimetres away, as if to check for conformation; when she doesn't protest, he closes the gap, letting their lips collide softly for a moment before gently pulling back. "Merry Christmas."

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 666<em>

* * *

><p><strong>A year ago today, The Thirteenth Floor was broadcast for the first time (still not over it). And this is the thirteenth chapter. Mind = Blown.<br>**


	14. N is for Nightmares

**N **is for...

**Nightmares**

* * *

><p>What exactly Lexi is running <em>from<em>, she isn't entirely sure.

All she knows is that she's terrified right now, running on pure adrenaline as she grabs Tom's hand, pulling him into step beside her, narrowly dodging a fallen tree that has blocked their path. She must have run a marathon by now. Why have her legs turned to lead? And here, of all places.

_Out there, that's the Neverside. A place of dreams and nightmares._

She stumbles in her step, scraping her hand against a tree bark; she hasn't got the time to evaluate the damage, but the nerves in her palm is screaming out in pain, and something warm and sticky is dripping down her hand and covering her fingers. She opens her mouth to yell for Tom to hurry - they've got to be quick if they want to escape being caught - but no sound falls from her mouth, merely a high pitched whisper, barely audible, and when she glances behind her, she is alone and her outstretched hand is grasping at thin air, and she is stumbling, tripping, falling, no way to cry out for help, no one to listen to her calling - but there is someone calling for her, a soft, gentle, oh so familiar voice...

"Lexi."

The world swarms back into being, and she jolts, fingers grasping wildly at thin air, disorientated by the sudden darkness of the room.

"Hey, hey, Lexi, what's wrong?" Someone is rocking her, stroking her hair, bringing her out of sleep, drawing her back to the real world, brushing the stray damp from her eyes.

"Tom..." She lets out a heavy sigh, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck.

"Another nightmare?"

She nods, humming in agreement, trying to calm her racing heart. It's almost as if she really did run that marathon. "The same one. Every time. Every night."

After a moment of silence, Tom speaks. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Lexi hesitates - usually, she passes her nightmare off as nothing, and that is the end of that - but, eventually, she answers. "We're in the Neverside. Running away from something, but my legs feel like I am running through treacle. I turn back to talk to you, but I cannot speak properly, or find my voice, and suddenly you've disappeared -" She pauses, not wanting to revisit it. "- and I'm all alone, and I cannot get out, and then I think I trip on something because I feel like I'm falling and there is no one else there to catch me..." She tails off.

"Lexi, love, look at me." She pulls back to look into his eyes. "They're only nightmares. They're not real. There will always be someone there to catch you. _I_ will always be there to catch you." He presses a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll always be here for you, okay? No matter what."

Lexi nods. "_Fi huerei tue_, Tom," she says quietly.

"Is that Nekross?"

"Yes."

"What does it mean?" He raises an eyebrow. She's never spoken in her native tongue around him before. "Is it an insult?"

"No." She lets out a sleepy chuckle. "It is how we say _I love you_."

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 53<em>_8_

* * *

><p><strong>Hitting random keys and trying to make words was kinda fun :D So, yeah, not a Christmas-themed one today! Although Christmas songs and leaflets are about Christmas-related things are starting to appear around our Sixth Form and someone living near us has already had their Christmas tree up for like a week, so we may as well start getting into the festive fun.<strong>


	15. O is for Ocean

**O** is for...

**Ocean**

* * *

><p>Tom shuffles, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I'm sorry it's not exactly..."<p>

"The best weather?" Lexi suggests, peering out from under the hood of her coat.

"Yeah. I would pick the one day of fog and rain, wouldn't I?" They roll their eyes collectively. Lexi had initially been - for lack of a better word - mystified, when Tom had hauled her out of bed on her day off, bundled her into her coat and practically skipped out of the front door, convinced that the cover of clouds would be gone "any minute now!"

Lexi squints, scanning the barely visible horizon through the thick cloud of mist. "Where is the ocean?"

"It's not the ocean. It's the sea."

"What is the difference?"

Tom shrugs. "The sea is smaller. And the ocean has more fish."

"Is that all?" Lexi blinks. "What utter nonsense. Why have two words for exactly the same thing? We do not have a separate word for _little box_ or _little egg_, do we?"

"Because otherwise we would be saying _small ocean_ all the time, and people are lazy?"

"Hm. Another thing I will never understand about you humans. If they really wanted to avoid effort, they should just use the same word for everything. For example, the sea is water. The ocean is water. Therefore, we should just call it water, and nothing more." She nods firmly, as if what she's saying makes perfect sense. "So, where is the _water_?"

Tom nods towards the direction of the crashing waves. "Over there, in the fog somewhere." There's a glint in his eye all of a sudden. "Do you want to go in?"

"In this weather? Do not be ridiculous."

"Of course I'm ridiculous." Tom shrugs off his jacket and drops it on the sand. "Why do you think you like me so much?" He flashes her a grin, before sprinting off through the mist, in the direction of the sea - or ocean, or water, depending on whether one trusts Lexi's thinking -, kicking his shoes off as he disappears. Lexi only has to wait a moment, before there is a loud curse from somewhere in front of her, and Tom comes racing back through the fog, shoes in hand, muttering under his breath, shivers escaping him. "Water's...really..._bloody _cold!"

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 382<em>

* * *

><p><strong>I just realised that three more of these stories coming up will feature bad weather. Sorry, guys. It's just the playing field for Texi-ness. And the show is set in Britain, and we in Britain get such bad weather...it was kinda inevitable, wasn't it?<br>**


	16. P is for Prom Night

**I realised before I wrote this that Benny Junior hasn't actually been mentioned in ANY chapter. Oops? But, have no fear, he appears in this one! And, oh boy, was this fun to write!**

* * *

><p><strong>P<strong> is for...

**Prom Night**

* * *

><p>"Come here, dear, your tie is crooked -"<p>

"Mum!" Benny Junior backs away rapidly. "Stop fussing!"

"But, look at your tie, it's - Now, look, you've got creases in your jacket!" Lexi collars him by the back of the shirt, pulling him back towards her.

"_Mum_!" Benny bats her hands away. "I'm sixteen; I can dress myself by now!"

"I only want you to look your best, dear. You don't want your date to see you looking scruffy, do we?"

"She's not my date!" Benny insists, although his cheeks are turning a brilliant shade of crimson. "Molly and I are just friends. All of her friends are going as couples, so we decided to tag along together. That's all."

"Hm," Lexi replies, unconvinced.

"I'm serious!" Benny glances back into the mirror on his bedroom wall. "Oh, God, why does my hair never gel properly?" He starts manically smoothing it back, before shuddering and ruffling it up, returning it to an even more unkempt version of his usual untidy mop.

"You look lovely, son. As handsome as your father did in his youth."

"Right, because that fills me with _so_ much confidence." He rolls his eyes.

"You look funny," a voice pipes up from their seat on his bed. Benny turns to glance at the speaker.

"Shouldn't you be in bed by now, 'Len?"

The nine year old pouts, arms folded across her chest. "It's half past six. I'm not a baby. And, anyway, I want to see Molly's dress, now that she's your girlfriend."

"She's not my -" Benny cuts himself off with a long sigh.

"Well, whatever she is, I'm sure you will have a wonderful time," Lexi says quickly. "Molly is a very nice girl, don't you agree, Helen?"

"She taught me how to braid my hair like Elsa from _Frozen_!" The little girl nods excitedly, her long blonde plait bouncing along with her.

"_Frozen_? You mean that ancient Disney cartoon from when I was a kid?"

"Yep! And she taught me all the words to all the songs!" She looks like she's about to swoop into a bad rendition of _Let It Go_ (much to Benny's horror), when Lexi cuts in.

"Oh, your father's got something he should tell you. I think he's in the kitchen now if you want to go and see him."

Grateful of the escape, Benny nods eagerly. "Okay. Cool." Giving his hair once last ruffle, he ducks out of his room, heading down the stairs, two at a time, into the kitchen where Tom is sitting, picking at a sandwich and scribbling in a student's exercise book. He glances up at the sound of Benny's footsteps.

"Looking sharp, son."

"Thanks." Benny rolls his eyes. "Mum's losing it, though. Completely. She's probably already buying a new hat and confetti for my wedding."

"You know what your mother's like," Tom says affectionately. Benny pulls a face, mumbling something about how parents should not be this mushy around their children, before speaking at normal volume.

"Anyway, Mum says that you have something that you should tell me?"

"Oh. Right. Yes. Yes, actually." Tom turns in his seat to face his son, wearing his best, most serious parental authority face. "Now, son."

"Dad."

"I know that you're an adult now, and you have the freedom to make your own choices, but, as your father, I - well, your mother - felt like I needed to go over some things with you."

"_O...kay._" Benny narrows his eyes. "What sort of _"things"_?"

"You see, Benny, a lot of things can happen at high school proms; I remember mine very well. People get drunk, and, as I said, you're an adult now, but I'm just advising you -"

"Where's this going, Dad?"

"If you do wish to get drunk, or you partake in...a certain sort of thing, make sure you're safe -"

"Oh, God. Dad, please, can we not have The Talk right now -?"

"Just be careful what you're doing -"

"Dad!"

"Remember, always use protection -"

"Dad!"

"Safe sex is always better than -"

"Dad! _Stop_!" Benny has leapt out of his seat and backed away across the kitchen, covering his face with his hands.

"Look, this is just as embarrassing for me, as it is for you -"

"No, it isn't - it really, really isn't!"

"Benny!" Helen comes running into the kitchen, sliding across the floor in her socks. "Molly's here. She's waiting in the hall with Mum - I'd go now if you don't want to be embarrassed."

"Too late for that." Benny lets out a sigh and tries to straighten his tie.

"You look fine, son." Tom claps him on the shoulder. "Now, go on. Don't want to keep your girlfriend waiting."

"She's _not_ my _girlfriend_!" Benny groans, for what must be at least the twentieth time since breakfast that morning, before letting out a loud exhale and going into the hall. Tom decides to follow him, hovering in the kitchen doorway, watching Lexi talk to the tall brunette girl in glasses as she picks with the hem of her dress, clearly nervous. Benny looks a little anxious too, a little red-cheeked as he compliments her lacy, pale pink dress. Tom smirks. _Ah, young love. They don't know when it's hit them._ He had been just the same with Lexi.

"You two are just adorable together," Lexi is saying, her eyes bright with elation at the sight of her son all grown up.

"Yeah, alright, Mum, no need to get over-emotional," Benny says quickly, attempting to bustle Molly out of the house and away from his parents.

"Molly?" Little Helen has escaped from her position on the stairs, and has merged with the rest of them.

"Yes, dear?" Molly smiles down at the little girl whom she has known as long as she's known Benny.

"When you and my brother get married, will you have children?" Helen asks innocently, looking up at them with her wide brown eyes.

"_Helen_!" Lexi looks aghast. Tom has a hand clapped to his mouth to stop laughing, earning a glower from his thoroughly embarrassed son. Poor Molly looks mortified.

"Well, I, um -"

"_Okay!_" Benny almost squeaks, takes Molly by the shoulders and steers her towards the front door. "Don't you think it's time we were off, Molls?"

* * *

><p><em>Word count: 10<em>_55_

* * *

><p><strong>Seriously, I was gonna end it at Tom trying to use his parental authority skills - or rather, his lack of them - to give Benny Junior The Talk (seriously, the idea of him cringing at the table as he tries to talk to his kid about this is bloody hilarious, quite frankly, and him trying to look all serious and grown up and failing at doing so because he's so uncomfortable), but I had to let Helen embarrass him a little more first. :D Sorry, Benny, but it had to be done.<br>**


	17. Q is for Questions

**Q** is for...

**Questions**

* * *

><p>If it were anyone else, Tom would never have been so beguiled.<p>

The _constant_ questions. The _never-ending_ curiosity. The fascination of _everything_ in the world - from something as simple as grass, to something as complex as higher string theory. Lexi could find questions to ask with everything. Why is this like this? Why is that like that? Why is it one way but not another? Why couldn't things ever be as simple as they were on Nekron?

It's a long-winded process, Tom finds; once he answers one of her questions, he has to answer twenty more. Every new piece of information seems to spark some new question, some new query, a new thirst for knowledge.

If it had been anyone else, Tom knows, he would have lost patience years ago. But, there's just something about the way Lexi's eyes light up every time she learns something new, gleam at every new discovery, that dazzles him, for lack of a better word, that almost _blinds_ him - blinds him in a way that no one else has ever been able to do before.

This could boil down to a lot of things - the way she smiles, the way she laughs, the way she finds fascination and beauty in everything she sees - but, truth be told, it boils down to the fact that Tom Clarke is completely, utterly, certainly head over heels in love with Lexi, and that is a fact he will never question.

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 246<em>

* * *

><p><strong>So, yeah! I'm back from Grandad's, back with my lovely WiFi for a bit! This is literally the shortest thing I have ever written, but I was completely stumped for what to do for this letter - until now! So, I hope you all enjoy this little drabble about Tom Clarke and his love for a certain Nekross Princessblonde human :)**


	18. R is for Rain

**R** is for...

**Rain**

* * *

><p>Lexi huddles in her thin jacket, glancing up at the roof of the tent, as a single droplet plops on to the crown of her head. "Oh, the joys of British weather." She sends a sideways glance at Tom. "Remind me, again, why did we agree to accompany your friends out here?"<p>

"Because camping is fun," Tom replies from the sleeping bag, trying to keep away from the side of the tent that is furiously battering in to him. "And because Benny thought that this would be a bonding exercise or something." He stifles a yawn. "As if we don't see enough of them back at home."

"But, it's pouring with rain out there." To prove her point, Lexi unzips the tent a little; the howling of the wind rips through the so-called "waterproof" shelter, showering Tom in a spray of raindrops, making him burrow deeper into the sleeping bag.

"Okay, okay, I get your point, we shouldn't have come!" He peers out again once the coast is clear. "Now, are you going to sit there all night and freeze, or are you going to get back on your air mattress like the rest of us?"

"Someone has to make sure we don't flood. I do not see you offering to take up the responsibility." She jabs the sleeping bag with her foot, just as the door to the tent is unzipped again.

"Hey!" Tom take refuge again, under his pillow. "What the -!?"

"Our tent blew away." Quinn shakes his head, sending beads of rain flying across the tent (Tom suspects that they're deliberately aimed in his direction). "If we don't want to sleep in a tree, we gotta bunk with you guys."

"Yeah." Benny wipes his glasses on his pyjama top and places them back on his nose. "You two don't mind, do you?"

"We didn't think that we were interrupting anything..." Quinn sends them a sideways glance, taking in Lexi in her jacket, and Tom in the sleeping bag, raising an eyebrow. "Clearly not."

"Is there even enough room for us all?" Tom asks from under the pillow.

"Of course there is!" Lexi says brightly. "The more the merrier, remember?" She beams proudly at her extensive knowledge of human expressions. "If I get out of your way, you should be fine. Here. You can have my air mattress..."

"Oh, _what_?" Tom pokes his head out from under the pillow, just in time to see Quinn and Benny squashing down next to him.

"Don't worry, Clarkey." Quinn smirks at him, extending an arm around Benny. "We're not going to try and have our way with you while you sleep."

"I should bloody hope not," Tom grumbles, before glancing up. "Where are you going, Lexi?"

"I told you, I'm sitting up to make sure that we don't flood."

"You can't sit up all night." He unzips the sleeping bag. "Come on. Get in."

"But, what about the leaks -?"

"We'll deal with that when it comes. I don't want you getting a cold."

Lexi opens her mouth to argue, before snapping it shut and sighing. "Fine. But, you're going to repair any damage." She manages to climb over Quinn and Benny, who have piled all of their sleeping gear into the small bedroom pod along with them, and climbs inside the sleeping bag.

"See, you're cold already." Tom lets her head nestle into the crook of his neck, rubbing her arms to try and warm them. "You'll warm up again in a minute."

"When he's had his way with you," Quinn puts in, earning himself a kick from the Tom-occupied sleeping bag. "_Ow_! What did I say?"

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 608<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, Quinn. How we love you :D.<strong>


	19. S is for Sledges

**S** is for...

**Sledges**

* * *

><p>"We're going...<em>sludging<em>, you say?" Lexi yanks her hat down further over her ears.

"Sledging," Tom corrects with a smile, gesturing to the sledge he is dragging through the snow behind them. "It's fun. The best thing about the snow."

"Hm," Is all Lexi says in reply, not looking convinced. She could have been wrapped up indoors right now, safe in the warm, a mug of hot chocolate in hand...and that had been the plan, until Tom had dragged her out of bed like a child on Christmas day, practically bouncing off the walls as he bundled her into her coat, babbling about some tradition in British culture. _Sledging_, as he's just now reminded her.

In all honesty, Lexi doesn't really understand what the big fuss is about - Britain has bad weather almost all of the time; what is so special about frozen water droplets? Clearly a lot, she thinks to herself, as they crunch through the snow towards Burnt Hill, the "only good place for sledging", according to her boyfriend. And several others too, it seemed; despite the early hour, at least two other family groups are already situated on up on the hill, sledges in tow.

"Now what?" She nudges the sledge with the toe of her boot.

Tom has let the sledge come to a stop at the top of the hill. "Now? You get on."

"Get on? Get on...that thing? That death trap?" She looks down at the sledge with an unenthusiastic expression, and then down at the hill with an even more unenthusiastic expression.

"Well, where else would I mean?"

"With you, it could mean anything," Lexi mutters, before gingerly sitting at the front of the sledge.

"You might want to hang on to something."

"Hold on to what, exactly?" Lexi tries to crane her neck to look at him. "Look, don't you think that this is a little unwise -" Her sentence is cut off by Tom shoving the sledge forward and jumping on the back as the so-called _"death trap"_ skids down the steep Burnt Hill, with Tom cheering with joy and Lexi fearing for her life.

Not that she would ever admit it. Nekross do not fear for their lives. Especially on strange human contraptions such as sledges. And they especially do not grip the hand of their halfling wizard boyfriend so hard that they almost cut off circulation during the descent down hills on aforementioned contraptions.

"Whoa!" The sledge swerves suddenly, sending both of its occupants tipping too far over to one side. Lexi's grip on Tom's hand finally breaks, as she almost thrown from the sledge and lands in a large pile of fallen, unbroken snow. (A soft thud from her right confirms that he has also landed safely.) She lets out a muted gasp at the sudden cold biting at her face, nipping at her ungloved fingers, dripping down her neck and under her coat.

"Lexi?" An arm wraps around her waist, pulling her to her feet, away from the melting droplets. "You alright?"

"I'm...fine." She blinks in confusion, letting out a shiver. Her hat has been lost somewhere in the confusion, along with her scarf and the glove that was once on her right hand. Little flakes of snow coat her eyelashes and frame the hair hanging around her face. Tom frowns.

"Here. You'll freeze to death." He gently untangles the snow and ice from her hair, pulling his own hat off his head and fitting it snugly onto hers. "There. All better."

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 585<em>

* * *

><p><strong>It went from Tom getting Lexi to wear his hat, to this. Oh well :) I like to think it's kinda cute.<strong>


	20. T is for Tickling

**T** is for...

**Tickling**

* * *

><p>There are some days when everything is perfect. The sun is out, the birds are singing, and the equilibrium to Lexi's world is perfectly balanced.<p>

Then, there are the not-so-good days. The days when it's pouring with rain and she's forgotten an umbrella. The days when she has to work long hours, extra hours. The days when everything just seems to go wrong - the equilibrium that she's so precariously built crumbles and topples, spinning out of control.

Today is...not a good day.

Her pay is being cut, they say. She needs to do more hours, they say. She'll lose her job otherwise, they say. She doesn't care, she yells back. Lexi's equilibrium crashes and burns around her ears as she storms out of her boss' office, ears flushed, eyes blazing. The anger only lasts for a few minutes; by the time she makes it to the nearest tube station, she's more terrified than anything else, with no idea what she's going to say when she arrives back home, three hours early. She's wringing her hands together as she dithers in the corridor, unable to fit the key in the lock on the front door. Luckily - or, unluckily, depending on how a person would view this situation - the door suddenly swings open, revealing a confused-looking Tom.

"Lexi? What are you doing home so early -?"

"Don't ask." She stalks past, heading straight for the living room, collapsing down on the sofa.

"O-Okay." Tom rests the lasagne tray on the coffee table, bewildered. "Can I...get you anything?"

_A new job?_ She thinks, leaning back against the sofa with her eyes shut. "No."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Are you...sure? A problem shared is better than a problem carried alone."

She tips her head further backwards, wincing as the blood rushes to it. There's a few moments of silence, before the sofa dips as Tom sits down next to her.

"Would a hug make it better?"

"I wish that it would."

"It can't be so bad that you can't tell me. You can always tell me anything, you know that, right?"

"I know that."

"Then...what -?"

"It's my problem to bear. My consequence to deal with." Isn't it their job to share the financial burdens of the family? He doesn't need this to worry about, on top of his own job.

"I hate seeing you unhappy." He gently pokes her shoulder. "C'mon. Turn that frown upside down. Do I have to tickle it out of you?"

She cracks an eye open. "Don't you dare - No, no, don't, Tom, _stop_!" She twitches and jerks away manically, as if shocked with a live wire, scrambling to the farthest edge of the sofa, trying to get as far away from Tom and his tickles as she possibly can. Without success, of course. "Stop, stop!_ You know I hate being tickled!_" She cuts herself off with a stream of giggles that effortlessly bubble up out of her throat, the sound floating away from her. She rolls too far to one side, and, with a peal of laughter, tumbles onto the floor, dragging him with her, collapsing in a chuckling heap.

"Thought that would take that sad face away." He drops a kiss on her temple.

She lets out a breath, shaky from all the laughter. "Not for long, I'm afraid."

"Won't you tell me what's wrong, love?"

"I do not want you to worry."

"I'm worrying about it now; it's making you unhappy - how could I not worry?"

She sighs heavily. "They...My boss...They wanted to cut my pay. Make me work more hours. And, when I said no..." There's a pause. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"But, how am I supposed to provide for -?"

"We'll get by. We always have done and we always will do. If the worst comes to the worst, heck...we'll set up camp in the woods like we did in the Neverside!" Lexi snorts, finally starting to relax, the tense knot in her stomach starting to fade.

"Why do you always make me feel better?" She muses suddenly.

"What can I say?" He gives her another peck on the cheek. "You bring out the best in me, love."

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 702<em>

* * *

><p><strong>OK. So, that happened. I wasn't entirely sure what to write for today's chapter, but then, I was inspired! :)<strong>


	21. U is for Umbrella

**U** is for...

**Umbrella**

* * *

><p>Lexi suppresses a shiver, wrapping her gloved hands tighter around her coffee cup, cursing her coat for not being large enough to cover her face and slim frame simultaneously. Winter has certainly fallen over the city in the past few weeks; a thick layer of frost has covered her window every morning this week, and a howling wind has been rattling around the house like a possessed spirit. She glances up through the trees at the darkened grey sky, grateful that the bench she had sat herself on ten minutes ago is protected under the branches and unlikely to get wet - she's strategically placed her scarf down to sit on, however, just in case nature fails her, and the soft rain that is now falling starts to reach her - foolhardy Lexi, who did not bring an umbrella out with her.<p>

Taking a sip of the warm coffee, she flicks to the next page in her book, crinkling the corner absentmindedly. She agreed to meet Tom here once she had finished Christmas shopping - and he had finished pretending to shop - but her aforementioned boyfriend is no where to be seen yet, and, rather than just sitting limply on the bench, she decides that she may as well catch up on a bit of light reading. The sound of the rain really is therapeutic, she muses to herself. _Why do humans hate the rain so much? The rain is simply water - and they need water to survive! Why must they hate something that they need?_

Hm. That last part draws far too many parallels to herself. More than she would have liked to admit. Briefly, she reflects on what Nekross Princess Lexi would have thought if Tom's Girlfriend Lexi informed her of what was going to happen. Nekross Princess Lexi probably would have been determined to hate Tom even more than she already did, just to prove a point. And also have Tom's Girlfriend Lexi thrown in prison. She was like that.

"Hey!" A voice startles her from her thoughts. She glances up from the pages of her novel, a smile on her face.

"What do you want?"

"Is that any way to greet your boyfriend?" Tom drops onto the seat next to her, umbrella in hand, grinning. "Especially when said-boyfriend has come to rescue you from the rain?"

* * *

><p><em>Word Count:<em>_ 394_

* * *

><p><strong>Alright! Another drabble-like chapter about bad British weather! :) Who doesn't love a bit of that? Plus, the image of Tom and Lexi sharing an umbrella is super adorable, so, we had to have it here.<strong>

**On a side note, I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do for the next chapter, so it'll be as much a surprise for you guys as it is for me. I look forward to it.**


	22. V is for Valentine

**V** is for...

**Valentine**

* * *

><p>"I just had the most...<em>odd<em> experience."

"Oh, yeah?" Tom greets her with a peck on the forehead. "What happened?"

"I just went to Quinn's house on my way home from work - to pick up the book you were talking about earlier? I went into the garage to find him, and, when I got there, he was in the centre of the room, filling a wheel barrow with rose petals."

Tom snorts. "Are you sure that was Quinn, and not some kind of alien replacement? Quinn has never touched a flower in his life."

"No, I am pretty certain it was him. He said something about taking them over to Benny's house tomorrow and tipping them over him as he lies sleeping. Although, I can't fathom why he would want to do that."

"Neither can I -" Tom pauses suddenly, thinking. "Lexi, what's the date today?"

"Um..." She glances at the calendar hanging in the hallway. "The thirteenth of February. Why?"

"Ah." _That explains it, then._ "It'll be for Valentine's Day."

"Is that the one with the pumpkins and the scary costumes?"

"No, no, that's Halloween. Valentine's Day is the one where people who love each other try to out-do their partner with big, romantic gestures."

"Such as?"

"Going out to restaurants. Buying chocolate. Tipping a wheelbarrow-load of rose petals on top of someone, apparently. That sort of thing." He can't resist rolling his eyes a little. Valentine's Day became a sorry affair in his house after the death of his mother; he's never looked upon it with the greatest fondness.

"Oh, right." She's frowning. "Why?"

"Fun, I guess. It's the chance to show people you love how much you care."

"But, why is it only that day?" She persists. "If people really love the other so much, they should show it every day, not just that one day when it's socially acceptable."

"What are you saying?" Tom gives her a smirk. "Are you saying that, if I asked you to be my Valentine - right here, right now - you'd say no?"

Lexi looks suddenly awkward. "Well, no, I would not refuse...but that's not the point!"

"What _is_ the point, then?"

"You show me that you love me every day. I know that, if you asked me, it wouldn't be just because it's socially correct for only a day - if you asked me, it would be because you mean it, and you will always mean it. Therefore, I would have nothing to argue about."

"Is that so?"

She nods. "Yes. That is so."

"Well, then." He reaches behind the kitchen counter and plucks a pink rose from somewhere (probably a bunch he had stored away for such occasion, Lexi guesses), tucking it gently into her hair. "Lexi, will you be my valentine - for tomorrow, and for every single day after that?"

"Nothing would make me happier."

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 479<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Here we go! I eventually thought of something! Hope you all like it. :)<strong>

**(I wonder how Benny will react to being woken by Quinn tipping rose petals over him...)**


	23. W is for Window

**W** is for...

**Window**

* * *

><p>"This is certainly proving more difficult than it initially appeared," Lexi says from the window, as she drags her shoulders through the narrow gap. They have been stuck outside the house for fifteen minutes now, with Tom kicking the front door and cursing at it in a vain attempt to get it open before they froze to death; if she hadn't suggested entering through the window, Lexi is pretty sure that they would have still been stood there, icicles by now.<p>

Tom, already inside, is standing by the window. "If you get stuck - just a warning - I'm going to laugh."

Lexi raises an eyebrow. "And you wouldn't help me?"

"Oh, I would. After I enjoy the view, of course." He winks at her.

"Is that a hint for me to get stuck deliberately, just so you can _"enjoy the view"_, as you so eloquently put it?"

"Maybe."

"Well, that isn't happening."

Tom rolls his eyes. "Whatever you say, love." He turns, about to go grab the hair dryer to air out the door, but there's a shriek from Lexi, as she slips during her descent through the window and sails forward, heading for a collision course with the floor, and he darts forward, arms out to catch her, failing spectacularly under the sudden force of her weight, crumbling to the ground, landing flat on his back with Lexi directly on top of him.

"Oops!"

"Sorry, sorry!" She awkwardly struggles to get off him, arms flailing like a windmill. "I didn't - I never meant to - Did I hurt you?"

"No, no..." She extends a hand to help him up. "It's...fine." _Better than fine, actually._

"Well, er..." Lexi shuffles. "Now that we've got that out of the way, should I go in search of the hair dryer?"

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 299<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, this is really bad. I'm sorry. Please don't kill me.<strong>


	24. X is for Xmas

**Okay, I totally cheated with the title here. Sorry, guys.**

* * *

><p><strong>X<strong> is for...

**Xmas**

* * *

><p>"Don't you think you're going a little overboard with the whole Christmas thing, love?"<p>

"Nekross do not celebrate Christmas, Tom." Lexi gracefully jumps down from the stepladder. "And, since _you_ never bothered to mention it..."

Tom pulls a distasteful face; he's never been big on Christmas since his mother died. A lot of trivial family things lost that extra sparkle since his mother's death. He brushes this thought off quickly.

"So, how did you find out about...all this?"

"That friend of yours told me, when Benny brought him here the other day...What's his name?"

"Quinn?"

"That's the chap! Anyway, when I said that I had never celebrated a Christmas before, he told me all about it. I thought it would be something nice to do for the winter season."

"Even so, does Varg really have to come?"

"Yes, Tom, he does. I think it would be good for him."

"He hates me," Tom mutters bitterly.

"No!" He raises an eyebrow at her. "...Well, not _just_ you!"

"Great. This feels me with so much Christmas spirit."

"Don't you look at me like that." She gives his festive hat a tug, pulling it down over his eyes. "He just needs to get to know you all. Trust me, it will all work out fine."

"You'd better be right."

"Besides, he will not try anything in front of everyone. Varg's no idiot."

"_Everyone_? How many people are we actually going to be housing?"

"Um...let me see." She counts on her fingers as she elaborates. "You, and myself, obviously. Mr and Mrs Sherwood, Benny, Quinn, your father, your grandmother, and Varg."

"Why didn't you just invite the whole neighbourhood? We're housing most of them already."

"If it were left to you, Thomas, we would be doing nothing at all."

"And wouldn't _that _be a great disaster?" Tom rolls his eyes. "Oh, speaking of Christmas dinner, you think you could squeeze in a couple of extra places?"

Lexi looks confused. "Did I miss anyone? I didn't think I did..."

"It's just...Katie rang me yesterday, and she's going to be alone for Christmas with her little sister, and -"

Lexi lets out a groan, cutting him off. "Do we have to?"

"I know you don't like her much -"

"_Much_?"

"Okay, fine, you don't really like her at all. But, still, no one should be alone at Christmas, and Katie and I have been friends since...well, since forever, it seems."

"If I say yes, and let her in my house, she better not cling to you like a lost mongrel again." She scowls, clutching the box of tinsel in her arms.

He looks amused all of a sudden. "Are you jealous?"

"...No!" Her cheeks tinge red. "Jealousy...jealousy is not in my nature!"

"You are!" Tom chuckles. "Aw, Lexi, you have nothing to be jealous of!"

"Hm," Lexi says, unconvinced.

"I mean it! Katie and I are just friends - I've told her that, explained it. She gets it. So, hey, cheer up. It's Christmas!"

"Five minutes ago, you wanted to ignore Christmas entirely," Lexi replies, trying not to smile.

"Yeah, but that was five whole minutes ago!" Tom waves a hand through the air, gesturing at nothing in particular. "S'all in the past now."

"I'm sure," she says dryly.

"Oh, come on!" He smirks. "Would a kiss make it better?"

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 556<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, Tom, whatever are you like? :) Hope you all enjoyed this little festive piece - just a warning, I have more festive pieces planned for the Christmas period (if you're sick of Christmas already, like my parents are, I'm very very sorry).<strong>


	25. Y is for Yellow

**Y** is for...

**Yellow**

* * *

><p>"Isn't this a...<em>beautiful<em> colour?" Tom holds up a pot of paint, voice sounding a little pained.

"I don't understand why I'm here," Benny Junior grumbles at the same moment. "I'm going to be late for band practise now..." He glances at the screen of his mobile, and lets out another groan as he sees the time.

"Aren't you going to show a _little_ interest in this, Benny?" Lexi asks, arms folded across her chest.

"I'm fifteen." His own look matches hers. "Why would I care what colour you're going to paint the back bedroom?"

Lexi simply shakes her head, before turning back to Tom, who's still holding the paint pot. "That's a hideous colour, dear."

"Yeah, well, pink's a girly colour, right?" Tom asks, still looking uncomfortable.

"That is no excuse to torture the poor child."

"Finally, someone's making sense," Benny mutters, before speaking at normal volume. "What about yellow?"

"Yes, yellow!" Tom looks relieved to put down the pot of neon pink paint. "Yellow's a nice colour - a great colour!"

Lexi nods. "I agree. Yellow is a lovely colour." She scans along the shelves, until she picks up a tin of Sunflower Yellow and holds it aloft. "What do you think?"

Tom clicks his tongue. "You shouldn't be lifting heavy things in your condition, that's what I think."

"Yes, because a single pot of paint is definetly going to really maim me." She rolls her eyes. "Besides, the quicker you say whether you like this colour or not, the quicker we can buy the paint and leave."

"Leave?" Benny looks hopefully at his father. "Dad? C'mon, Sunflower Yellow! How could you pass it up?"

Tom nods. Anything is better than neon pink. "Sure. Let's go for it." Benny gives a silent cheer of relief, already tapping away on his phone, as Tom dumps three pots of yellow paint into a shopping basket. "Is that all we need?"

"I think so." She links her arm through his with a sigh, intertwining their fingers. "I am definetly ready to go home - my back is in agony, and if I do not eat ice cream soon, I fear my brains will become little more than fudge cake. Speaking of which, do we have any fudge cake at home?"

"Uh...no."

"Pity. I'm starting to see the appeal of fudge cake and ice cream being eaten together."

"I swear you never used to like food this much. Is this a new thing that I just haven't caught on to yet?"

"It's your fault." Lexi pokes him in the side. "You did...this." She gestures down to her slightly swollen stomach, not yet all that visible under her jumper.

Tom smirks. "Hm. Funnily enough, I don't seem to remember any complaining when I did "this" -"

"Oh, _ugh_!" Benny groans, making a silent vomiting pantomime. "I did not agree to hearing about this when I got dragged on this "family outing" to Ikea."

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 489<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, Benny. Ever the teenager. Cheer up about your new little baby sibling. Benny Junior would be such a cool brother, guys, let's be real here.<strong>

**Wow, the next chapter is the last chapter, and then I'll have completed the Alphabet Challenge! Seriously, this seemed like forever away when I started, but it's gone so quickly! Anyway, until next time (tomorrow), folks!**


	26. Z is for Zip

**Z** is for...

**Zip**

* * *

><p>Lexi taps on the bedroom door. "Tom?"<p>

"Uh, yeah?"

"Are you okay?" He'd disappeared to get a clean jumper half an hour ago; they'd decided to try experimental cooking this afternoon, and, well, one can clearly say that it didn't turn out quite how they'd expected. "What are you doing in there?"

"Um...nothing!" There's the sound of stumbling around the room, and then a muted thud. "_Bugger,_ that hurt!"

"Tom?" She leans against the door frame.

"Every thing's - Ow! - fine!"

"I do not believe you for one second." There's a pause. "Can I come in?"

"No, no!" Something crashes to the floor and he curses loudly. Lexi promptly decides to ignore his answer - the crash sounded like something valuable - and pushes the door open. Tom, looking down in horror at the remains of the bedside lamp that are now scattered across the carpet, is stood in the middle of the room, wearing one of his ancient sweatshirts, the zip done up halfway, one arm out of the sleeve and wind-milling as he despairs.

"What...?" She tails off, trying - and failing - to suppress her laughter at the comical sight, the broken lamp instantly forgotten.

"It's not funny!" Tom protests as Lexi bites her lip to hold in the giggles; he flails his free arm through the air. "Help me!"

"Oh, but this is so amusing!"

"_Lexi!_" The arm-flailing becomes more desperate. "I've been stuck like this for half an hour!"

"Fine. Come here." She crosses the room, careful not to tread on the broken shards of pottery, and unzips the sweatshirt with ease. "There. All done. Was that so hard?"

* * *

><p><em>Word Count: 276<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Well, this is it, guys! The alphabet challenge is complete! Phew! *dramatically collapses down in exhaustion*; I was despairing about how to end this, but then the mental image of Tom failing to work the zip on a jumper happened and, yeah, I ran with it.<strong>

**I played the Harry Potter ending music whilst writing this, because that's the sort of weird stuff I do...**

**Big, big, big thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited and/or followed this little story - you are all amazing and I love you all! :D x**


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